Troubled hearts. There’s nothing better than, when out of the gloom shines a bright light of discovery and hope.
At the October meeting of Ponsonby U3A, Professor Julian Paton shone one such light on a captivated audience.
Professor Julian Paton is a biological medical research scientist whose international qualifications, fellowships and awards for his projects are too many and varied to list.
With clarity and a great sense of humour and fun, he presented members with the exciting and novel ideas he and his team are working on to combat the biggest killer in Aotearoa New Zealand, cardiovascular disease. This disease kills someone every 90 minutes, is responsible for one in three deaths and shortens the life span of Māori and Pacific people who have double the mortality rate.
At the University of Auckland, in partnership with Māori, Julian is the director of a new research centre, Manaaki Manawa (preserving the life force of the heart), working with a multi-disciplinary research team. Their mission is to reduce not only the inequity but the incidence of this disease.
One in three of us suffers from high blood pressure, which can lead to strokes, heart attacks renal failure and worsening diabetes, compounded of course by family history, excess alcohol, salt intake, smoking, being overweight and a sedentary lifestyle. Blood pressure is hard to measure and mitigate and 50 percent of patients on medication remain hypertensive.
The carotid body is key to managing drug resistant patients and the team has developed a still under- patent drug to treat the carotid without removal, which is a world first. Also, they are trialling using a catheter into the renal artery to control nerves and lower blood pressure with minimal side effects.
In addition, they have invented a natural device instead of pacing the heart metronomically to advance to a clinical trial next year and which could become a world first. Finally, in response to New Zealand’s abhorrent rate of rheumatic heart disease, which affects 800 people per year, the team aspires to use a 3D printer to grow human cells and body parts including heart valves.
Such ground-breaking research takes money, and Professor Paton was accompanied by the team’s development manager, Catherine Davies who explained the abysmal 1.8 percent of GDP position of New Zealand. Rating 45th in the world, we fall behind Pakistan and Romania, and as a result lose scientific talent offshore.
For anyone interested in contributing or being part of a trial, contact Catherine. M: 022 396 4661;
E: catherine.davies@auckland.ac.nz
Monika de Man was the ten-minute speaker giving members an inspiring account of her adventures walking one of the longest pilgrim routes in France. Walking alone, Monika covered over 500 kilometres, avoiding major cities and towns. She traversed beautiful European forests and picturesque villages with collapsing stone walls and stone underfoot, many of which have been occupied for centuries.
Ponsonby U3A meets at the Herne Bay Petanque Club on the second Friday of the month.
A guest speaker drawn from a diverse range of all spheres of endeavour, features each month. As well, members take turns to give a ten-minute talk about their lives or interests. At the heart of the club are the nearly thirty special interest groups that meet once a month. They include gardening, public art walks, gallery visits, dining out, armchair travel, writing, drawing, current affairs, antiques and collectibles, history, architecture to name a few. It is in these small groups that real friendships are forged.
Ponsonby U3A welcomes newcomers. If you are interested in attending, first as a visitor, please call President Ian Smith on M: 021 130 2330. (CHRISTINE HART)
NEXT MEETING: Friday, 11 November at 9.30am
GUEST SPEAKER: James Duncan on Auckland’s trams
VENUE: Herne Bay Petanque Club, 19 Salisbury Street, Herne Bay
ENQUIRIES: Ian Smith, President, Ponsonby U3A
M: 021 130 2330,
www.u3a.nz
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#ponsonbynews #iloveponsonby #ponsonby #auckland #aucklandshippestrip #onlyponsonby #ponsonbyroad #Greylynn #freemansbay #westmere #ponsonby #hernebay #stmarysbay #archhill #coxsbay #westernsprings